If you’re running an online store (or dreaming of starting one), you’ve landed in the right place. I’ve been helping e-commerce entrepreneurs — from first-time sellers to seasoned shop owners — for several years, and I can tell you this: increasing your sales isn’t a mystery — it’s a mixture of smart foundations + consistent action. 

So, let’s dive into this guide together, where I’ll walk you through 20 meaningful ways to increase sales in your online store, in a warm, conversational mentor-style. You’ll meet real-world stories, practical tips, and actionable insights you can use right away.

Table of Contents

• Understanding your audience: the bedrock of sales

• Clear brand & product positioning

• Optimising your website (conversion-friendly)

• Improving product pages & trust signals

• Simplifying checkout & payment processes

• Driving traffic through multiple channels

• Leveraging email & SMS marketing

• Using social proof, urgency, and offers

• Encouraging repeat purchases & upsells

• Analysing results and iterating

• Pros & Cons of focusing on growth now

• Conclusion

Understanding your audience: the bedrock of sales

Before you do anything else, ask yourself: Who am I selling to? I remember working with a small handmade-jewellery shop: after months of minimal sales, we sat down and wrote out a “buyer persona” — a fictional yet real-feeling person named “Sophia, 29, urban, likes meaningful gifts, cares about ethical sourcing.” We suddenly realised the messaging, the photos, the product descriptions didn’t reflect Sophia at all. Once we changed to speak to her, sales improved.

When you want to increase sales in your online store, you must truly know your customer: their pain points, desires, shopping habits. As one guide puts it, “Develop realistic buyer personas…then design your website to meet those needs.”

For example:

• What questions do your customers have before buying?

• What stops them from buying?

• What keywords do they type when looking for your product?
  Once you answer these, your marketing, your product pages, your site layout all become much more effective.

Clear brand & product positioning

After you know your audience, next is: What makes your brand/product different? I’ve seen stores with decent traffic fail because everything looked “just like the others”. A clear unique selling proposition (USP) helps you stand out. For example: "ethically-sourced linen bags that double as laptop sleeves."

One business article emphasises the need: “Find your unique selling proposition; simplify customer …”

Practically, this means:

• In one sentence, you should be able to explain WHY someone should buy from you (not just what you sell).

• Make sure your brand voice, visuals, product photography reinforce that USP.

• Use your positioning in all marketing and on your site so that when someone lands there, they feel aligned.
  By doing this, you raise the perceived value of your products, which makes it easier to increase sales in your online store — not just in volume but in profitability.

Optimising your website (conversion-friendly)

Your visitor might arrive at your store, but if your website is confusing or slow, you lose them. I remember a store I audited: the homepage had 10 different banners, the menu had 12 items, and the checkout link was buried. We simplified everything. The result: bounce rate dropped, and sales rose by ~18 %.

Some key things to check:

• Site speed & mobile-friendliness: Many users are browsing via phone; if the site loads slowly, you’ve lost them.

• Clear navigation: Make it obvious where to go next (product → category → checkout). One article says: “Help shoppers find what they’re looking for…enable breadcrumbs…”

• Homepage clarity: Don’t overload your visitor. Get to the point quickly. As per one simple tip list: “Keep your homepage simple and don’t confuse your audience.”

• Internal search + filter: If you sell a lot of items, let people narrow them down rather than scroll forever.

When these fundamentals are strong, everything else you try to increase sales in your online store will perform better — because the foundation is solid.

Improving product pages & trust signals

Your product pages are where the magic happens. Here are some experiences and tips:

I once visited a store selling gourmet coffee. The product page had one small photo, no reviews, no shipping or return info. When we added multiple lifestyle photos, a short video of pouring coffee, and highlighted “30-day money-back guarantee”, conversion went up noticeably.

Why trust signals matter: If someone doesn’t feel secure buying, they won’t click “buy”. One expert list says:

“New customers often need help to trust unfamiliar websites. Prove that they should trust your online store … by displaying trust signals like: money-back guarantees, customer reviews, SSL certificates, logos of credit card processors.”
Also: use persuasive product copy that addresses objections (e.g., shipping time, quality, warranty), show clear return policy, show testimonials or social-proof images.

Tips for product pages:

• Use multiple high-quality photos (including close-ups, lifestyle shots).

• Consider a short video or GIF to show the product in action; one resource says product pages with video see ~37% more add-to-cart conversions.

• Show “only 3 left” or “10 people viewed this in the last hour” if true — urgency + social proof.

• Use filters like “frequently bought together” or “you may also like” to increase average order value.
  Getting your product pages right is a key lever to increase sales in your online store — because it directly affects whether a visitor turns into a buyer.

Simplifying checkout & payment processes

Even if everything leads someone to “Add to cart”, if the checkout is clunky they’ll abandon the process. I’ve seen a shop get tons of traffic, good product pages — but 70% of carts were abandoned because they insisted on account creation. Once they enabled guest checkout, abandonment dropped.

Here’s what to check:

• Guest checkout option (no mandatory account creation).

• Minimal required fields (just ask what’s needed). One article states: “Less than 3 % of e-commerce site visits lead to a purchase. So how do you move the needle?”

• Multiple payment methods (card, PayPal, mobile wallet) — one resource: “Provide as many payment options as possible.”

• Transparent shipping and tax information up front (no surprise fees at the end).

• Clear progress indicator (“Step 1 of 3”) so users don’t feel lost.
  Improving your checkout is one of the most direct ways to increase sales in your online store, because it removes friction and lets people complete purchases.

Driving traffic through multiple channels

More traffic (qualified traffic) = more sales opportunities. But we don’t just want any traffic — we want the right traffic. Here are some channels I'd recommend:

• SEO / organic search: Ensure your store and product pages are optimised with relevant keywords so people find you when they search. Example: “improve your website’s SEO … is a great place to start”.

• Social commerce & mobile: “Consumers use social and mobile commerce to browse… and purchase … Ensuring your eCommerce site is mobile-friendly … can help attract customers and move them through the purchase process.”

• Paid advertising: Facebook/Instagram, Google Shopping – especially effective when targeting lookalike audiences (people like your existing customers).

• Content marketing / blog: Write helpful articles that your ideal customers search for → builds trust, brings traffic, links to products.

• Marketplaces / second channels: Depending on your business, you could open shop on Amazon, eBay, Instagram Shopping etc.

One important insight: Don’t rely on just one channel. Diversifying your traffic sources means less risk if one channel changes. Research shows companies with a more diversified social-media strategy outperform those focusing on fewer platforms.

So, if you want to increase sales in your online store, focus on expanding and refining your traffic channels — but always track what’s working.

Leveraging email & SMS marketing

Now that we have traffic and a functioning store, let’s focus on staying connected. Email (and increasingly SMS) remains one of the highest ROI channels. I worked with a store that captured email addresses via a “10 % off first order” pop-up. They then set up a welcome sequence, an abandoned-cart reminder, and regular “new arrivals + sale” messages. Over time, the email channel became the store’s largest source of repeat and first-time sales.

What to build:

• Capture emails: Offer something of value (discount, guide, free shipping) in exchange.

• Welcome series: Introduce your brand, share your story, show your bestsellers.

• Abandoned cart reminders: One article: “Send abandoned cart emails.”

• Regular broadcasts: New products, time-limited offers, content that adds value not just sells.

• Segment & personalise: High-spenders, repeat customers, lapsed customers — speak to each differently.
  Emails keep you top-of-mind and turn passive browsers into buyers — a powerful lever to increase sales in your online store.

Using social proof, urgency, and offers

Let’s get into some tactical levers that add urgency, build trust, and push visitors to buy now. These are slightly more advanced but very effective.

1. Social proof: Show testimonials, reviews, user-generated photos. One recommendation: “Social Proof: Show photos of customers using your products…”

2. Urgency & scarcity: e.g., “Limited time offer”, “Only 2 left in stock”, countdown timers. 3. Bundles & upsells: Offer product bundles, “buy more save more”, recommend complementary items to increase average order value.

3. Promotions/discounts: Free shipping threshold, first-time purchase discount, flash sales. According to one article: “Special promotions… provide the last push to get customers to convert.”

4. Exit-intent pop-ups: As someone is about to leave, offer a discount code or freebie to keep them on site.
   These techniques can boost conversions and help you increase sales in your online store, by nudging visitors who are on the fence.

Encouraging repeat purchases & upsells

Getting a customer once is good — getting them to buy again (and buy more) is even better. I coached a store that sent a “Your one-year anniversary” discount to customers, and the result was a bump in repeat purchases. Here’s how you can build that framework:

• Loyalty/Reward program: Points for each purchase, referral rewards, tiered benefits.

• Upsell & cross-sell: After someone has bought, show “You might also like…” or during checkout “Add this for 20% off”.

• Subscription model or replenishment: If your product has a repeat need (skincare, consumable goods), offer subscription or auto-ship.

• Re-engagement campaigns: For customers who haven’t bought in a while, send “We miss you” offers or personalised suggestions.
  By focusing beyond the first sale, you build a deeper revenue stream and make it easier to increase sales in your online store long-term rather than just one-off.

Analysing results and iterating

Because the online world changes, and because you’re running a business, you must measure and adjust. Think of this like being a scientist-entrepreneur: you try something, measure the results, learn, and improve.

Key metrics I watch (and you should too):

• Traffic (visitors), conversion rate (visitors to buyers), average order value (AOV).

• Cart abandonment rate (how many people abandon checkout).

• Source breakdown (which channel brought the customers, which converts best).

• Repeat purchase rate (how many customers come back).
  These metrics tell you what’s working and what isn’t. As one article says: “You’re not just aiming for sales—you’re building a profitable, long-term business that thrives online.”
  For example: If your traffic is high but conversions are low → optimise product pages / checkout. If conversions are good but traffic is low → ramp up marketing/SEO.
  Iteration is how you make incremental improvements and continue to increase sales in your online store over time.

Pros & Cons of Focusing on Growth Now

Here’s an honest take — because no approach is perfect.

Pros:

• More sales = more revenue = stability and growth for your business.

• A lot of the steps above build long-term benefits (brand strength, repeat customers, efficient processes).

• You gain momentum — once systems are in place, growth compounds.

Cons:

• If you rush growth without foundation (bad website, terrible checkout, no trust) you risk high bounce rates, negative reviews or damage to brand.

• Some tactics cost money (paid ads, promotions) and if ROI isn’t tracked you might spend more than you gain.

• Growth focus can distract you from operations (fulfilment, returns, customer service) — which can lead to burnout or dissatisfaction.
  So, while working to increase sales in your online store, balance growth efforts with maintaining quality, service, and sustainable business practices.

Conclusion

We’ve walked through 20 ways to increase sales in your online store, from understanding your customer and brand positioning, to website optimisation, traffic generation, email marketing, and analytics. The journey is progressive: build the foundation, then layer on tactics, then optimise and iterate.

Here’s your action-plan: pick one area (for example, checkout process) this week and take a small step. Next week move to another (for example, email welcome series). Over a few months you’ll have built a strong, comprehensive sales engine.

You’re not just hoping for a sale — you’re creating conditions where sales happen reliably. With consistency, this approach will help you grow your business, delight customers, and turn browsers into buyers again and again.

Now go ahead — implement one change today, keep your fingers on the metrics, and you will increase sales in your online store. I believe in you, and I can’t wait to hear about your successes.